8-Bout Bellator 26 Lineup Finalized

Unbeaten Irish import Aisling
Daly will meet Lisa Ward in
the quarter-finals of the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 3
women’s 115-pound tournament at Bellator 26 on Thursday at the
Kansas City Power and Light District in Kansas City, Mo. The
promotion has finalized an eight-bout lineup for the event.

Perfect in nine professional appearances, Daly last competed in
November, when she earned a unanimous verdict against Strikeforce
veteran Maiju
Kujala under the Rumble in Rush banner in her native Ireland.
The 22-year-old has secured eight of her nine victories by
knockout, technical knockout or submission. Daly has never fought
in the United States.

Ward has posted two wins in her past three fights and dazzled in
her promotional debut two months ago, as she choked Stephanie
Frausto unconscious at Bellator 22. A decorated ground fighter,
the 27-year-old Washington native won gold at the 2007 World
Grappling Championships and owns 10 submissions among her 13 mixed
martial arts victories. Ward was the last woman to defeat retired
Japanese standout Miku
Matsumoto.

Meanwhile, Tyler
Stinson will answer the bell on short notice, as he meets
Steve
Carl in a televised catchweight tilt. Stinson replaces UFC
veteran Rory
Markham, who was not medically cleared to compete.